Tongue-piece for shoes.



No. 657,085. Patented Sept. 4, I900. E. H. CHFHSTENSEN.

TONGUE PIECE FOR SHOES.

(Application filed Feb. 2, 1898.)

(No Modal.)

.Zizvenior MHZ/lea 07/ Nrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMILIE H. onnisrnnsnn, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

TONGUE-PIECE FOR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,085, dated September 4, 1900. Application filed February 2, 1898. Serial No. 668,831. (No model.)

To aZZ "whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMILIE H. CHRISTENSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tongue-Pieces for Shoes, of which the following is a-full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to improvements in shoes, and more particularly to uppers therefor, my object being to provide an upper having a tongue-piece which will permit the upper to be spread as usual, but will at the same time maintain the foot protected, this tongue-piece being so formed and connected to the upper that no discomfort is caused the wearer, that the edges of the upper at the sides of the usual opening are hidden and protected by the tongue-piece, and that the said tongue-piece can be buttoned to the upper to produce the effect of a button-shoe.

To these ends and also to improve generally upon devices of the nature indicated my invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the presenttongue-piece blank. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the tongue-piece in folded position, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a portion of an upper with the tongue-piece applied in the manner contemplated by this invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A represents the upper of a shoe or the like, said upper being provided with the usual opening. The tongue adapted to close this opening, but at the same time permit the upper to be extended to receive the foot,- is preferably made from a blank constructed as illustrated in Fig. 1, said tonguepiece having when folded a front portion a, from the edges of which there extend inwardly to a line intermediate said edges and in rear of said front piece intermediate folds g, while rear folds (l are connected to said intermediate folds at their contiguous edges and extend outwardly. The said tonguepiece thus is in effect a box-plait, to produce which the blank is folded on the lines 6 f. The portions of the upper at the sides of the opening are secured in any suitable manner to the outer faces of the rear folds d, and, as illustrated in Fig. 8, the front piece lies entirely outside of the upper. Thus when the shoe is closed the upper lies between the intermediate folds and the rear folds, whereby the edges of the upper at the sides of the opening are protected and also concealed, thus rendering ornamentation of said edges unnecessary, and the front portion a being entirely outside of the upper there is no bulky portion of the tongue-piece against the foot of the wearer.

Suitable lacings or other fastenings can be provided to keep the shoe closed and the tongue-piece folded, or, if desired, buttons h can be placed upon the upper, said buttons extending through suitable buttonholes in the intermediate fold and front portion,whereby the effect of a button-shoe is produced. If desired, a gore b can be made in the blank and the edges 0 then united, the result being to curve the tongue-piece to conform to the arch of the instep.

The present structure is simple and cheap to manufacture and produces a shoe finished in appearance. By reason of securing the tongue-piece to the upper in the manner in dicated no bulkiness is produced against the foot of the wearer, the edges of the upper at the sides of the opening are protected and concealed, and a shoe having the appearance of a button-shoe can be produced.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination with the upper of a shoe or the like, said upper having an opening therein, of a tongue-piece for closing said opening, said tongue-piece comprisingafront portion, intermediate folds connected to the sides of said front portion and extending in rear of said front portion to a line intermediate the said edges, and rear folds connected to the contiguous edges of said intermediate folds and extending outwardly therefrom, the

portions of the upper, at the sides of the open-' shoe in closed position; substantially as deing, being connected to the front of the said scribed. 10 rear folds, and the said front portion of the In testimony whereof I affix my signature tongue lying entirely outside of the upper, in presence of two Witnesses.

whereby when the shoe is closed the edges of EMILIE H. CHRISTENSEN. the upper, at the sides of the said opening, Witnesses:

lie between the said intermediate folds and O. V. EDWARDS,

the rearfolds, and means for securing the M. A. RYAN. 

